ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a line
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stand — to bear
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. date — the fruit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cap — of ice
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com